Green job growth strongest in red states

When I think of a green jobs haven, I think of Democrat-leaning states like California. Evidently, these assumptions are wrong. A September 2012 report from DBL Investors reveals that clean tech job growth is strongest in traditionally Republican states like Alaska and North Dakota.

Nancy Pfund and Michael Lazar published the report, Red, White & Green: The True Colors of America’s Clean Tech Jobs, and the results truly surprised me. A map of the 10 states with the fastest growth in green jobs between 2003 and 2010 only has two blue states, Hawaii and New York.

10 States with Fastest Growth in Green Jobs

Alaska – 98 percent (Republican)

North Dakota – 58 percent (Republican)

Hawaii – 56 percent (Democrat)

Wyoming – 53 percent (Republican)

New Mexico – 50 percent (swing state)

Nebraska – 49 percent (swing state)

North Carolina – 49 percent (swing state)

Nevada – 48 percent (swing state)

New York – 48 percent (Democrat)

Colorado – 47 percent (swing state)

Okay, so job growth is stronger in Republican-leaning or swing states. What about the states that have the largest share of green jobs as a percentage of total jobs? Surely this will be filled with blue. Again, I was wrong. This map includes six Republican states, three Democrat states, one swing state and the Democrat-leaning District of Columbia. Again, red states dominate the clean tech jobs map.

Pfund and Lazar’s research found that “green jobs are growing the most quickly in some of the smallest and reddest states.” Go figure!

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